Treatment plug setting tool, setting system and method of avoiding setting a treatment plug while running

ABSTRACT

A treatment plug setting tool includes, a shank, a collet attached to the shank, and a sleeve attached to the shank that is positioned and configured to provide longitudinally compressive support to fingers of the collet while allowing the fingers to radially deflect.

BACKGROUND

Tubular systems, such as those used in the completion and carbon dioxidesequestration industries often employ anchors to positionally fix onetubular to another tubular, as well as seals to seal the tubulars to oneanother. Although existing anchoring and sealing tools and systems forsetting such tools serve the functions for which they are intended, theindustry is always receptive to new systems and methods for anchoringand sealing tubulars.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

Disclosed herein is a treatment plug setting tool. The tool includes ashank, a collet attached to the shank, and a sleeve attached to theshank that is positioned and configured to provide longitudinallycompressive support to fingers of the collet while allowing the fingersto radially deflect.

Further disclosed herein is a method of preventing actuation of asetting tool while running the setting tool through a tubular. Themethod includes, longitudinally supporting a collar of the setting toolthrough protruding portions of fingers of a collet and a perimetricallycontinuous portion of a sleeve attached to a shank, and preventingactuatingly moving the collar of the setting tool relative to othercomponents of the setting tool.

Further disclosed herein is a treatment plug and setting system. Thesystem includes, a treatment plug having, a cone, at least one slip inoperable communication with the cone that is radially movable inresponse to longitudinal movement relative to the cone, and a collarconfigured to prevent longitudinal movement of the at least one slipwhen the cone is moving relative thereto. The setting system furtherincludes a setting tool having, a shank, a collet attached to the shank,and a sleeve attached to the shank that is positioned and configured toprevent disconnection of the setting tool from the treatment plug untilafter a releasable member in operable communication with both the sleeveand the collar has been released.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The following descriptions should not be considered limiting in any way.With reference to the accompanying drawings, like elements are numberedalike:

FIG. 1 depicts a cross sectional view of a treatment plug and settingtool system disclose herein; and

FIG. 2 depicts a perspective view of the setting tool shown in FIG. 1with the sleeve shown as semi-transparent.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A detailed description of one or more embodiments of the disclosedapparatus and method are presented herein by way of exemplification andnot limitation with reference to the Figures.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, an embodiment of a treatment plug settingsystem is illustrated at 10. The system 10 includes a treatment plug 14and a setting tool 18. The treatment plug 14 has a cone 22, a pluralityof slips 26 and a collar 30. The slips 26 abut the collar 30 and areconfigured to move with the collar 30 longitudinally relative to thecone 22. Such movement causes the slips 26 to move radially (outwardlyin the embodiment illustrated) and into engagement with a structure 34shown herein as a casing or liner of a borehole in a hydrocarbonrecovery completion, for example. Optional, teeth 38 on a surface 42 ofthe slips 26 bite into the structure 34 to fixedly attach the slips 26and the bride plug 14 to the structure.

The setting tool 18 includes a shank 46, a collet 50 and a sleeve 54.Both the collet 50 and the sleeve 54 are attached to the shank 46 bythreads 58 and 62, respectively, in this embodiment. An end of thesleeve 54 has a perimetrically continuous wall 70 providing hoopstrength to resist radial deformation thereof. The wall 70 andprotrusions 74 on fingers 78 of the collet 50 are positionedlongitudinally between a releasable member 82, shown herein as a shearring attached to the collar 30, and a shoulder 84 on the collar 30. Thewall 70 provides longitudinal support to the fingers 78 through theprotrusions 74 against loads applied to the protrusions 74 from theshoulder 84. This support from the wall 70 prevents the fingers 78 fromdeforming under compressive loading as might otherwise occur if thecollar 30 momentarily catches on the structure 34 during runningtherethrough. When loading is reversed, angled surfaces 86 on theprotrusions 74 are configured to ramp against a complementary surface 90on the collar 30 to urge the fingers 78 to deflect radially inwardlyonly after release of the releasable member 82. The radial deflection ofthe fingers 78 allows the setting tool 18 to release from the treatmentplug 14 and to subsequently be retrieved, for example, to surface.

The releasable member 82 is strong enough to resist releasing whilebeing loaded during the setting of the treatment plug 14. During settingof the treatment plug 14 the cone 22 is moved relative to the slips 26and the collar 30 thereby causing the slips 26 to expand radiallyoutwardly. This action causes longitudinal loading of the collar 30 thatis supported through the releasable member 82 via contact with thecontinuous wall 70 of the sleeve 54 that is attached to the shank 46. Alongitudinal dimension 94 of the continuous wall 70 is sized to preventcontact between the angled surfaces 86 and the surface 90 until afterrelease of the releasable member 82. Only after the releasable member 82releases the angled surfaces 86 can contact the surface 90 causing thefingers 78 of the collet 60 to deflect allowing disconnection of thesetting tool 18 from the treatment plug 14. It should be noted thatalthough both of the angled surfaces 86 and the surface 90 are orientedto cause the fingers 78 to deflect radially, ramping forces would stillbe generated on the fingers 78 even if only one or the other of thesurfaces 86 and 90 were angled.

Optionally the treatment plug 14 may include a seal 100 configured tosealingly engage with the structure 34 when actuated. Actuation of theseal 100 occurs in a similar fashion to that of the slips 26. A taperedmember 104 is moved relative to a tubular 108 that is radiallysupportive of a seal element 112, which may be made of a ductilematerial such as a polymer. This movement of the tapered member 104causes radial expansion of the tubular 108 that causes radial expansionof the seal element 112 into sealing engagement with the structure 34.The tubular 108 may be made of metal or other material that plasticallydeforms to retain the seal element 112 in sealing engagement even if thetapered member 104 is moved in a reversed direction. Alternateembodiments could have the tapered member 104 engage with the sealelement 112 direction without the tubular 108 positioned therebetween.As with the setting of the slips 26 the setting of the seal 100 alsocauses loading on the collar 30 through the releasable member 82. Thisloading can be greater, or less than that generated during setting ofthe slips 26. Regardless of the loads applied to the collar 30 duringthe setting of the either or both of the slips 26 and the seal 100 thereleasable member 82 is configured to not release until after both theslips 26 and the seal 100 are fully set.

Additionally, the treatment plug 14 may include a ratcheting mechanism116 that has teeth 120 on the cone 22 that ratchetingly engage withteeth 124 on the collar 30 to maintain slips 26 in a position on thecone 22 to assure that the slips 26 sufficiently remain engaged with thestructure 34 even after loads that move the cone 22 relative to theslips 26 has been removed.

While the invention has been described with reference to an exemplaryembodiment or embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in theart that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substitutedfor elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention.In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particularsituation or material to the teachings of the invention withoutdeparting from the essential scope thereof Therefore, it is intendedthat the invention not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosedas the best mode contemplated for carrying out this invention, but thatthe invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope ofthe claims. Also, in the drawings and the description, there have beendisclosed exemplary embodiments of the invention and, although specificterms may have been employed, they are unless otherwise stated used in ageneric and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation,the scope of the invention therefore not being so limited. Moreover, theuse of the terms first, second, etc. do not denote any order orimportance, but rather the terms first, second, etc. are used todistinguish one element from another. Furthermore, the use of the termsa, an, etc. do not denote a limitation of quantity, but rather denotethe presence of at least one of the referenced item.

What is claimed:
 1. A treatment plug setting tool comprising: a shank; acollet attached to the shank; and a sleeve attached to the shank beingpositioned and configured to provide longitudinally compressive supportto fingers of the collet while allowing the fingers to radially deflect.2. The treatment plug setting tool of claim 1, wherein the sleeveincludes a perimetrically continuous wall positioned radially of atleast a portion of the fingers.
 3. The treatment plug setting tool ofclaim 2, wherein the fingers include radial protrusions that radiallyoverlap the perimetrically continuous wall when the sleeve is providinglongitudinally compressive support to the fingers.
 4. The treatment plugsetting tool of claim 3, wherein the radial protrusions have angledsurfaces to bias the fingers radially when urged against an object. 5.The treatment plug setting tool of claim 4, wherein a longitudinaldimension of the perimetrically continuous wall is sized to preventcontact between the angled surfaces and an object.
 6. The treatment plugsetting tool of claim 1, wherein the fingers are configured to radiallydeflect inwardly.
 7. A method of preventing actuation of a setting toolwhile miming the setting tool through a tubular, comprising:longitudinally supporting a collar of the setting tool throughprotruding portions of fingers of a collet and a perimetricallycontinuous portion of a sleeve attached to a shank; and preventingactuatingly moving the collar of the setting tool relative to othercomponents of the setting.
 8. A treatment plug and setting systemcomprising: a treatment plug comprising: a cone; at least one slip inoperable communication with the cone being radially movable in responseto longitudinal movement relative to the cone; and a collar configuredto prevent longitudinal movement of the at least one slip when the coneis moving relative thereto; and a setting tool comprising: a shank; acollet attached to the shank; and a sleeve attached to the shank beingpositioned and configured to prevent disconnection of the setting toolfrom the treatment plug until after a releasable member in operablecommunication with both the sleeve and the collar has been released. 9.The treatment plug and setting system of claim 8, wherein the sleevetransfers loads of the shank to the releasable member.
 10. The treatmentplug and setting system of claim 9, wherein a perimetrically continuousportion of the sleeve transfers the loads.
 11. The treatment plug andsetting system of claim 8, wherein protrusions on fingers of the colletengagable with the collar after release of the releasable member causeradial deflection of the fingers.
 12. The treatment plug and settingsystem of claim 11, wherein the protrusions include angled surfaces thatare engagable with the collar.
 13. The treatment plug and setting systemof claim 11, wherein the radial deflection of the fingers is radiallyinwardly.
 14. The treatment plug and setting system of claim 11, whereinthe collar has a ramped surface engagable with the protrusions.
 15. Thetreatment plug and setting system of claim 8, wherein the releasablemember is a shear ring.
 16. The treatment plug and setting system ofclaim 8, wherein the treatment plug further includes a seal sealinglyengagable with a structure comprising: a tapered member; and a sealelement radially deformable in response to longitudinal movement of thetapered member relative thereto.
 17. The treatment plug and settingsystem of claim 16, wherein the seal further includes a tubular inoperable communication with the tapered member and the seal element thetubular being configured and positioned to radially expand in responseto longitudinal movement relative to the tapered member.
 18. Thetreatment plug and setting system of claim 17, wherein the tubular ismetallic.
 19. The treatment plug and setting system of claim 16, whereinthe seal element is polymeric.
 20. The treatment plug and setting systemof claim 8, wherein the treatment plug further includes a ratchetingmechanism configured to maintain the cone in position relative to the atleast one slip after release of the releasable member.